PsiMax's Powers

[Slings Words]

I was looking at the most recent update and, as someone that's played a psion before in D&D, I tried to break down what powers he's using.

Without actually pulling out the book and looking through it, I can pick out possibly Psionic Shield (Psi's shoulder blocks) and Psionic Disintegration (Ker-SPLISH).

Anyone else have any thoughts or theories?

Edit: Oh! And the levitating of course. I was specifically wondering about the gears on his arm. Are those a psionic power or just part of his big mechanism?

[RidcullyJack]

Best thing I've seen written on Psimax's powers, with links and everything. BIG thanks GuessesWildy for this:

So I've noticed that in general people don't seem to have a good grasp on Psionics. The power that Psimax is using to move around others is Telekinetic Force. It functions pretty much like the spell Telekinesis. He can also do other things while maintaining concentration (like manifesting other powers) because he also manifests the power Solicit Psycrystal, which allows a Psion to have his Psycrystal maintain concentration for him on a power he is using.

But then there's the question: Have you noticed that Psimax has no psycrystal? Every self-respecting Psion has at least 1 psycrystal! So where are they? Psimax's arms are his psycrystals. He shaped them into arms and grafted them on. There are powers to do this in the Metacreativity and Psychometabolism Disciplines.

And how is it that he simply makes people explode into tiny bits? Well, there is a Psychoportation power called Dissipating Touch. It is a 1st-level power, which only disperses a small part of a person or object (he also dissolves the wall and the keys), but it can be augmented. At level 20 and by spending 20 power points, it can deal 20d6. It allows no save, but requires a melee touch attack. It is the only power in the SRD that does what Psimax is doing. But then how does Psimax hit people with it at range? That is something I've been trying to answer, and I believe it has something to do with how Psimax is unnaturally aware of anything that happens around him, and is even able to respond to it without looking around.

There is a power called Touchsight which allows you to "feel your surroundings even in total darkness or when your sight would otherwise be obscured by your physical environment." This answers the question of how Psimax is always aware of what is happening around him, for example the way in which he attacks BROWgrath without even looking at him. I believe Psimax is being a huge munchkin and using RAW of Touchsight's written explanation. Touchsight effectively allows you to "feel"... and in order to feel you have to touch, right? This combination of Touchsight and Dissipating Touch effectively makes him able to touch anyone in range of Touchsight. I know every single Power in the SRD, and many more in splatbooks, and this is the only way in which Psimax could possibly do what he is doing.

Also, here are other powers Psimax is using:
Reality Revision is basically the 'Universe Machine'. Overland Flight, Psionic is how he floats about, either that or Fly, Psionic which is a Nomad-only Power. Dimension Door, Psionic is how he teleported to our Minmax.
Take into account that a level 20 Psion knows at least 36 powers, so we haven't even seen the tip of the psyberg. If Psimax specializes in Psychoportation, as I theorize, then we will most likely see the 9th level Nomad-only power Time Regression, which allows him to effectively have a "redo" on a round.

[Slings Words]

Wow! Thanks for the link to the post! That's a fantastic overview of everything. And I never considered Reality Revision to be the Universe Machine. That's pretty clever of Guesses

[Krulle]

Edit: Oh! And the levitating of course. I was specifically wondering about the gears on his arm. Are those a psionic power or just part of his big mechanism?

I think one of the gears (or both) change the constants for gravitation.
See how everything goes up?
The energy for changing the constant has already been saved inside the psionic gear, so the "levitating" should be without new energy expenditure.
Apparently he only uses energy to keep himself "down".

[Unlucky-for-Some]

that is a very cool idea Krulle and would explain why he seems able to perform two such powerful feats without draining himself dry. Explains the spinning of the gears too ... I was wondering if his ability to mess with the gravitational constants might let him cause things (and people) to go splishk when they get a certain distance away from the floor (or the centre of gravity or whatever) then all he'd be spending his personal power on would be the shield and keeping himself on the floor...

maybe then the look on his face was a sudden realisation of just how risky that tactic might have been

[Hudrax]

Just to say Hello, please forgive may bad English,

it comes to Mind if PsiMax was in his First Run between Level 3 and 5 what did he used to Avoid the reset. There is a Psionic Power in Level 3 Power List called Time Hop. Time Regression would be better but a Level 9 Power at the beginning?
With Time Hop it should be possible to just Jump a bit in the Future in the Round wen the reset is performed.

[WhispersToSquirrels]

Just to say Hello, please forgive may bad English,

it comes to Mind if PsiMax was in his First Run between Level 3 and 5 what did he used to Avoid the reset. There is a Psionic Power in Level 3 Power List called Time Hop. Time Regression would be better but a Level 9 Power at the beginning?
With Time Hop it should be possible to just Jump a bit in the Future in the Round wen the reset is performed.

I believe he avoided the reset by destroying the counter.

[Hudrax]

I believe he avoided the reset by destroying the counter.

Sure looks right but it sounds a little bit to easy in my opinion. This raises the question for me why is he the Only one using this Trick?

[RidcullyJack]

Others may have used the 'destroyed counter' trick. Those who use that trick have left the MoM already, by collecting experience until the challenge rating of the encounters is such that no more experience can be gained the taking a leisurely final run to the treasure room. If you don't want to stay for ever* and don't want to ctrl-alt-del the universe, then once you've collected all the XP the MoM can give, you may as well leave.

*Given the choice, Goldmax might want to remember all his runs and never leave the MoM. Grinorarcen would then never get to meet him in Hell.

[stevedj]

Others may have used the 'destroyed counter' trick. Those who use that trick have left the MoM already, by collecting experience until the challenge rating of the encounters is such that no more experience can be gained the taking a leisurely final run to the treasure room. If you don't want to stay for ever* and don't want to ctrl-alt-del the universe, then once you've collected all the XP the MoM can give, you may as well leave.

*Given the choice, Goldmax might want to remember all his runs and never leave the MoM. Grinorarcen would then never get to meet him in Hell.

Hmmm, if a destroyed counter is not "fixed" on the reset, then once a group wins/leaves, and they are "replaced" by a new group - would that new group find their counter already destroyed?

[Krulle]

That's the plot hole I always saw.
A proposal around this was by some smart forumite that the counter does get reseted, but that the counter does the memory/experience delete at the END of a round, just before the maze resets.
If it's destroyed, the counter gets reseted, but could not delete the memory/experience of "its" group.
Supporting evidence to this is that the counter is still smoking when PsiMax is introduced to us.
After 817 runs, you'd expect the counter to have stopped smoking....

[Slings Words]

I think one of the biggest issues we're having as readers attempting to dissect what's happening is differentiating between Psimax's actual powers and him using the Un-Reality Engine.

[Sushulana]

Well, that settles one thing - Kore would be dead meat the moment Psimax noticed him.

I get the explanations, and TY for posting that... but its still grossly powerful. Makes me wonder why a being like that would ever even enter the MoM.

[Slings Words]

Well, that settles one thing - Kore would be dead meat the moment Psimax noticed him.

I get the explanations, and TY for posting that... but its still grossly powerful. Makes me wonder why a being like that would ever even enter the MoM.

I don't believe Psimax started that powerful. I think he got that powerful by running the MoM. I could be wrong though...

As for Kore being mincemeat at Psimax's hands...the comic hasn't really gotten into the realm of Spell Resistance, but I believe Spell Resistance also applies to psionic powers too. I would assume Kore has SR out the butt which would mitigate some of Psimax's powers.

[RidcullyJack]

A catalog of Psimax using his powers: I started making this list, and found it was even longer than I thought it would be!

Where I can figure out the power points used they're in brackets at the front. I don't know what psionic power Psimax is using to splishk inanimate objects, since Baleful Teleport applies to corporeal creatures. I also don't know what power bonds things to other things.

Psimax uses Kineticist/Nomad powers.

(9) 02222011 baleful teleport (Psi's-gath's head)
(9) 02222011 baleful teleport (Psi's-Kin's tail and dagger)
(9) 02222011 baleful teleport (Psi's-Kin's head)

(9) presumed: psionic teleport (to reality engine room)

(3) 12062011 psionic levitate

(9) 12202011 psionic teleport
(15) 12202011 telekinetic sphere(Minmax)

(15) 12302011 telekinetic sphere(Scorpkin corpse)
(??) 12302011 bond? (wall segment to other wall) ssssssss
(3) 12302011 inflict pain (Minmax)

(3) 01032012 inflict pain (Kin)

(?) 01062012 splishk x3 (wall brackets)

(9) 01102012 psionic teleport

(??) 04172013/ dissolve (wall of reality engine room) - doesn't look like a 'splishk'

(15) 04182013 telekinetic sphere (Forgath)
(?) 04182013 splishk (mace)
(15) 04182013 telekinetic sphere(Kin)

(1) 04242013 control object (keys)
(?) 04242013 splishk (3 keys)
(1) 04242013 control object (Kin's leash)

(9) 04272013 baleful teleport (Kin's tail)

(1) 05042013 control object (this is a helmet)

(15) 05082013 telekinetic sphere(Forgath)

(??) 05112013 bond? (Forgath to wall)

(9) 05212013 psionic teleport

(15) 06112013 telekinetic sphere (Minmax)
(3?) 06112013 inflict pain? (Minmax)
(9) 06112013 baleful teleport (Browmax)
(3) 06112013 psionic levitate

(9) 06242013 baleful teleport (Pegmax)
(n) 06242013 inertial armor (armor increased 3+n points)
I'm going to say not telekinetic sphere in panel 5; the gears are spinning, it's the reality engine at work
(36) 06242013 baleful teleport x4+ (Biskin, Axegath, Giantmax, Jalemax, possibly others,... and an arrow)

Having read a little more about Psions, regaining power points only takes one round of successful concentration in a peaceful environment; the reality engine room would easily qualify as a place for Psimax to regain power points. (On closer reading, probably not true). So it doesn't really matter that he used power points up to the horizontal line above; he has regained those points. By my tally, he's used 226 power points, as well as splishking items a few times, dissolving a way and bonding Forgath and a wall together. Perhaps 240-250 points used in total, or more if he is dealing extra damage by spending more points on baleful teleport (at 9D6 damage, he probably doesn't need to be spending too many more points).

Since he's min-maxed, Psimax's intelligence is high - let's suppose it's as high as 21 somehow(?). At level 1316, he would have a base 221 points with bonus 42 from his intelligence (261).

Most of what I've tried to deduce has come from here

Edited to change splishk to 'baleful teleport' when applied to corporeal creatures; to include all points from beginning of this MoM run.
Edited to change to inertial armor.

[Caowyth]

Pretty sure splishk is 'Baleful Teleport'.

[RidcullyJack]

Pretty sure splishk is 'Baleful Teleport'.

Thanks, that looks like the best explanation I've seen so far. Baleful Teleport - it is a ranged attack (25 + 5ft/2levels)
Also, with Baleful Teleport, "Targets can be protected from the effects of baleful teleport by dimensional anchor". Can the Kinship make a dimensional anchor with the reality engine??

However, Baleful Teleport only applies to 'corporeal creatures' - Psimax couldn't use it to splishk wall brackets, keys, maces and such, unless there are some house rules at play. (A house rule would be sensible here; if Baleful Teleport can do large damage to a creature, it can surely destroy something small like a key or mace, especially since splishk seems to include a target's armour and weapons when it hits).

The other suggestions either required a workaround for a touch-only power, or a green ray emenates from pointing finger which turning opponents/objects to dust.

[RidcullyJack]

It was just pointed out to me in another thread that Psimax could be storing power points in Cognizance Crystals.

It has been suggested his arms are crystals, but "a cognizance crystal consists of a core crystal and two or three smaller crystals arranged in specific positions around it on strands of silver wire," so things are a little different there.
A CC weighs about a pound, and since Psimax doesn't seem to have much in his pockets, he's only got two; he's storing at most 34 power points if his arms are CCs.
However, there are other types of psionic power storage items, maybe?

[balefu]

How is he taking so many actions in a round?
He kills pegleg, effects everything in an area telekinetically (there is no psionic power that does this) and then splinches them all and I bet he'll somehow take actions against the remaining five attackers before they can grapple him too...
He can't be more than level 12-13 as he wouldn't be getting any xp for the kinds of characters in the dungeon at that point, so no telekinetic sphere (not that that can be used to break objects in half by any sane ruling anyway).
Looks like he has the Power of Plot to me.

Nitpick: The barrier probably isn't an inertial barrier as it's quite unlikely that none of the three hits did more than 5 damage. Inertial armour is more likely.

[RidcullyJack]

I have no reasonable idea yet for how he could be using Baleful Teleport* on more than one opponent in the same round; my only idea, which is totally ridiculous, is that his arms, or some other psionic items, are intelligent items, and also get to use their psionic powers each round (this would only allow for 3 Baleful Teleports though...). I don't know if intelligent psionic items can use power points in 3.5 though. (*Baleful Teleport may not be what's happening here, of course, but I haven't seen any more convincing explanations yet.)

The only explanation I've seen for Psimax getting his level above 12 is doing this: Psimax kills his Forgath and Kin, then teleports to the top of the tower in the tower room.
When Alts start to arrive, he announces via PA announcement like Kin: "Your only way out of the MoM is for you all to team up and kill me. Come on if you think you're hard enough!" Then he takes them all on at once, challenge rating for 100 level 4ish characters must be through the roof.

The 'reality engine' gears on Psimax's arms may be doing the 'area effect telekinesis'; it is instead local gravity reversal. That's the first time we've see his gears spin; he chose them from his reality engine for a reason.

I tell you, I used to hate Psions because they were so complicated and seemed overpowered, but I'm learning a bit about them now, and if I ever get involved in another game, I'll be trying to convince my DM to let me play some kind of Psion.

[LoneStarNorth]

How is he taking so many actions in a round?

How many rounds went by on this page?

[RidcullyJack]

How is he taking so many actions in a round?

How many rounds went by on this page?

I've always felt that if a bunch of things look like they just happened or are in the process of happening in a panel, then they happened in the same round.

Edited to add: But, if there's no local gravity above Psimax, would need all those splishks have happened a once? If Psimax splishked them one at a time, the splatter of each Alt would hang it the air in a big splurgle-glump. There's only one 'SPLISHK' in the last panel, so maybe it was sequential, not simultaneous, and Thunt just didn't draw each one separately?

[Tayvin]

All of this begs the question... could Kore face Psimax and stand a chance against him?

[RidcullyJack]

All of this begs the question... could Kore face Psimax and stand a chance against him?

Let's see. Psimax enters the battle with almost all his power points, because he can teleport in to battle Kore when he's good and ready. He teleports into a place with good natural cover but line of sight with Kore. He has nice solid psionic armour of some kind already in place (lots of choices of power to use, not too many points to get something close to impermeable for least a few rounds, as we've seen).

Kore uses 11 power points to use his Null Psionics Field, about the only thing that might protect him from a big bad Psion. (He might have an item with him that does this, I suppose, but then I'll write him a Ring of Powerful Psion Killing too, and he's won).
Kore remembers he isn't a multi-class Paladin + Kineticist Psion, and can't protect himself from psionics; retracts previous action as stated to DM. If he wins initiative, which he probably does (arriving by teleport takes a little time), he makes his usual attack, which is to fire as many crossbow bolts as he can. Those that hit bounce away harmlessly, deflected by the psionic shield or Psimax's natural cover.
Psimax uses his usual attack, Baleful Teleport, to try to splishk Kore, power augmented from 9 power points to, say 30 points (not a huge number of points, since he's got 240 or so), dealing 30D6 damage, or 15D6 if Kore makes a Fortitude save (the more points, the harder the save is to make). If that doesn't SPLISHK Kore completely, he does it again more times, perhaps upping the number of points each time.. Kore could "Lay on Hands" on himself between splishks, but it's hard to cast a spell when parts of your body are discorporating. (Lay on hands heals level x charisma_bonus HP; he's about level 14, but how high is the Charisma of an emotionless/possessed/whatisthatthing?Tank-Paladin, really? Generously, it might get him 42 HP back, once).

Yeah, Psimax wins.

The only reason Psimax is going to lose the MoM is he's too arrogant to remember that his reality engine will grant enormous game-changing power to control reality to Kin (and the Kinship too, who he doesn't know are in the reality engine room).

[Tayvin]

Let's see. Psimax enters the battle with almost all his power points, because he can teleport in to battle Kore when he's good and ready. He teleports into a place with good natural cover but line of sight with Kore. He has nice solid psionic armour of some kind already in place (lots of choices of power to use, not too many points to get something close to impermeable for least a few rounds, as we've seen).

Kore uses 11 power points to use his Null Psionics Field, about the only thing that might protect him from a big bad Psion. (He might have an item with him that does this, I suppose, but then I'll write him a Ring of Powerful Psion Killing too, and he's won).
Kore remembers he isn't a multi-class Paladin + Kineticist Psion, and can't protect himself from psionics; retracts previous action as stated to DM. If he wins initiative, which he probably does (arriving by teleport takes a little time), he makes his usual attack, which is to fire as many crossbow bolts as he can. Those that hit bounce away harmlessly, deflected by the psionic shield or Psimax's natural cover.
Psimax uses his usual attack, Baleful Teleport, to try to splishk Kore, power augmented from 9 power points to, say 30 points (not a huge number of points, since he's got 240 or so), dealing 30D6 damage, or 15D6 if Kore makes a Fortitude save (the more points, the harder the save is to make). If that doesn't SPLISHK Kore completely, he does it again more times, perhaps upping the number of points each time.. Kore could "Lay on Hands" on himself between splishks, but it's hard to cast a spell when parts of your body are discorporating. (Lay on hands heals level x charisma_bonus HP; he's about level 14, but how high is the Charisma of an emotionless/possessed/whatisthatthing?Tank-Paladin, really? Generously, it might get him 42 HP back, once).

Yeah, Psimax wins.

The only reason Psimax is going to lose the MoM is he's too arrogant to remember that his reality engine will grant enormous game-changing power to control reality to Kin (and the Kinship too, who he doesn't know are in the reality engine room).

Kore might have something for all we know, he must've fought at least one Psion in his time. BUT ENOUGH ABOUT KORE THIS IS ABOUT PSIMAX!